Pet names
by Izzu
Summary: It's been a long time since he called Mitsuzane by his pet name.


A/N: I need some fluff. Not in mood of angst atm.

* * *

Pet names

By Izzu

o

o

"_Micchi_?"

Almost lightning fast, the child turned towards him. Round eyes, rosy cheeks, a too sweet smile as if he had just announced a trip to the amusement park. Takatora coughed.

"... was that what those beat rider kids are calling you?" he asked. Immediately that cheery light on that small face dimmed. A pout slowly formed.

"Yeah..." said the child as he sat back slumped on the couch.

"You liked that name, huh?" Takatora asked carefully, not wanting to sound condencending.

"Well... it was less formal. And less mouthful compared to Mitsuzane..."

Takatora couldn't help smiling despite that. Yet he wondered if that's the only reason.

"_Micchan._"

Right away the child reacted by standing straight. Takatora chuckled as he noted the redness that started to spread from the child's ears. Mitsuzane turned.

"_Nii-san_! Stop that!"

"What was that, _Micchan_? Did I say anything wrong?" Takatora asked again before grinning. Staring at Mitsuzane's flushed face; recalling the younger days when he used to call his younger brother in that very affectionate way. Something... he rarely do nowadays.

To think Mitsuzane still liked to be called using pet names like that.

"So... how's school, Mitsuzane?" he asked again, changing the topic and reverting to his more formal address as he noted the change in his brother's expression. "Have you been studying well? Ryoma didn't make you do unnecessary things, did he?"

He kept asking that, yes, one can't always be sure. And he's not going to neglect his duties as a guardian now.

Mitsuzane shook his head. "No, there wasn't any problem about that. Even if my attendance might be affected slightly but I could always cover that with something else. The teachers don't fuss over it as long as I scored well in exams."

Takatora nodded. "Well, if there's any problem with school just tell me. I'll have a talk with the principal to make an exception for you. No matter how much you want to help out with work, we can't have that affecting your studies..."

"School's fine!" Mitsuzane snapped. "You don't have to worry about that... _nii-san_."

Takatora nodded and the room was filled with silence again. He took out a folder from the stack at the corner of his desk before pulling out the contents to read. Something suddenly popped up in his head as Takatora looked up.

"Mitsuzane, did those kids know that you're a Kureshima?" Takatora asked again, suddenly feeling wary of his little brother's safety. Now that Kazuraba Kouta knew about Yggdrasil's involvement with Helheim, it could be dangerous to let Mitsuzane hang out with those kids.

"No, none of the members in the team bothered to ask me about that." came the short reply. " Which is good. Since if they knew it would have been really awkward. Since who _doesn't_ know about our family in this city? It was already troublesome handling that at school... I don't want to face that kind of situation with the team as well."

"Good then..."

And then it was quiet again. Of which the silence didn't stay that long as Takatora sensed the approach of the other person to his desk.

"What else, Mitsuzane?"

He didn't look up. Just because he didn't want to have to stare at that round eyes and rosy cheeks a bit too much. Because Mitsuzane always tend to use that _weapon_ out of the blue, catching him off guard most of the time. He rarely won those confrontations...

"_Nii-san_... why don't you call me like _that_ anymore?"

"Hnn? Like what?" Still avoiding, like nope... we're not going there...

"Calling me Micchan, like you used to!"

He knew it that it was a bad move to touch that topic. Well, he was _asking_ for it anyway.

"Mum still calls you Micchan anyway, why does it matter if I don't use it anymore?"

Silence. Don't look up, don't look up... because it goes without saying what'll come next. 'Micchan's secret weapon #2' that's what he used to call it. No doubt Mitsuzane would use that. That pout of doom that could kill any resolve or strong will. Well, it didn't work on their father but somehow it always gets him. WHY?

He ended up looking up anyway. Shit.

"It matters!"

Gosh, this is why he refused to use cute old nicknames when calling Mitsuzane these days. Hard to do anything else once you have the word 'Micchan' stuck in your head. Since he'll keep recalling all the cute memories. Like when Mitsuzane was 3 or 4... or something.

"Well you've grown up now, so I should dispense with cute names like that. Didn't you tell me before to stop treating you like a child?"

"But you're still treating me like a child _now_!"

Takatora bit his lips. Touché .

"But at least now I allowed you to do things I usually not let you do before. I trust you could take care of yourself fine and able to think things by yourself. Like an _adult_. So you should be just fine like that."

A groan. A loud dissatisfied groan, one can add. And then come a hard knock at the back of his head. And then an armful around his neck.

"Ow! That hurts! Mitsuzane..."

Well, the headbutt's not really that painful much, but Mitsuzane unknowingly pressed on the old sore on his right shoulder. That hurt a lot, but Mitsuzane didn't need to know that.

"Well, who told you to breach the subject about 'Micchi'? You suddenly gave me unneccesary hope to hear you calling my name so fondly again."

There goes those butterflies in his stomach again.

"Sorry then... _Micchan_,"

And he still had a teen-sized equivalent of a koala clutching his neck, preventing him to do anything else without having to exert a lot more energy than he should.

"Mitsuzane, I'm still working..."

No reaction aside from the tightening around his neck. Takatora sighed.

"_Fine_, you win. I'll give you this whole day at least. But I'm not calling you Micchan anywhere public. And don't think you're getting this all the time, today's an exception."

A peck on his cheek, and he was free. Good, now he can resume work. Productivity of the day almost lost just because of a fleeting curiosity. Need to remind himself to not do that often.

"Okay, that's fair enough."

And then there was the waiting.

"Go along then, _Micchan_. I'm sure you have something else much more interesting to do than keeping me company. Else I'm calling Mum,"

A wide grin. So happy just because of one silly term of endearment.

"One day, right?" Mitsuzane said again as he lingered at the door. "I'm going to hold on to that, _nii-san_."

"Yes... Micchan. You have the whole day, but that only applies when I needed to call on you during this period. Nothing more nothing less."

"Thank you!" And off the teenager go.

A sigh.

Takatora: 0, Mitsuzane: 10

Now that's a lousy score.


End file.
